April manfacturing output shrinks by 21,6%

SA’s manufacturing output shrunk by a record 21,6% year-on-year in volume terms in April compared with a 11,8% contraction in March, official data showed on Wednesday.

Compared with March, manufacturing production in volume terms fell by a seasonally-adjusted 2,5% in April, Statistics South Africa said.

Manufacturing output was down 4,2% in the three months to April compared with the previous three months, also on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

Stats SA said the April data had been effected by the large number of public holidays during the month.

The decrease was mainly due to lower production in the basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery division (-26,4% and contributing -6,1 percentage points), followed by motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment (-49% and contributing -5,3 percentage points) and the petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic
products division (-15,2% and contributing -3,3 percentage points).

The seasonally adjusted manufacturing production for the three months ended in April 2009 decreased by 4,2% compared with the previous three months.

Lower production levels were reported by nine of the ten manufacturing divisions
during the latest three months.

The decrease was driven mainly by lower production in petroleum, chemical products, rubber and plastic products (contributing -0,9 of a percentage point), wood and wood products, paper, publishing and printing and motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment (each contributing -0,7 of a percentage point) and basic iron and steel, non-ferrous metal products, metal products and machinery (contributing -0,6 of a percentage point). - Reuters, I-Net Bridge